Amsterdam by small boat

     Amsterdam has great museums and is a very walk-able central city. People will tell you to go right of the bridge when coming from the train station as going left will take you to the red-light district. Either way seemed fine to me as Ann Frank's House and Rembrandt's House are to the left and the red-light district is not so bad. However, I suggest that you contact "Those Dam Boat Guys" and take a small boat tour (max of eight people) of the city by canal. It is well worth it and run by ex-pats who speak English and love Amsterdam. Seems much better than the big tour boats with all the people wearing earphones.

California Coast near Redondo Beach

Administrative Square in Liechtenstein

Looks like the folks in Liechtenstein are fair weather people, but it was a weekend and

everything was closed at the seat of government. The only people dumb enough to be

out in the rain were me (black umbrella), someone with a red umbrella, and

 Marietta McLellan who took this photo. 

I am surprised by the date. It does not seem that

long ago we were there.

Rouen, Normandy, France

     Rouen is a lovely city with interesting places to visit. There is a great Joan of Arc Museum and the place where she was killed. There is a modern cathedral near her place of death. The larger cathedral has an evening light show. There are wonderful shops and cafes. 

     You need to be careful in places at night as some are not well lighted and you can trip and fall - first hand knowledge.

     The photo above is one that I needed to show. It is the side of a public building. Those are bullet holes and marks left from the fierce battles of World War II. They have been left as a reminder of the touch of war on the city. It was not a light touch.

     This is a wonderful city and worth a visit. It sits proudly on the Seine River not that far from Paris.

Doge's Palace, Venice

The Doge was like the mayor/governor of Venice and received a palace that was fit for someone of power. In the palace there is the world's largest oil painting and some marvelous globes pointing to Venice's domination of the sea. However, the first thing you see and your walk in up the stairs is this gilded ceiling. If you were a trade partner or possible enemy, you would have to be impressed.

We recommend seeing Saint Mark's Cathedral and the square, but do not miss the Doge's palace or the Fenice Opera House.

San Pellegrino Mineral Water

 Como

S. Pellegrino

     San Pellegrino is an Italian natural mineral water bottled in San Pellegrino Terme in the Province of Bergamo, Lombardy, Italy.  I know Bergamo fairly well having been there three times. But, it is a long story.
      To be brief, we were staying at Lake Como near Lecco and left to fly to Paris out of Verona. We got most of the way to the airport when I realized I left our passports in the safe back at Lake Como. We turned around and drove back and after getting the passports headed back to Verona again.
It is actually a lovely drive, and as I kept mainly to rural roads and off the highway, We saw Bergamo and Lombardy close up three times.

Barcelona's Erotic Museum

     You hear a good deal about the sex trade and sex museum(s) in Amsterdam. Indeed, in the Red Light District there is plenty of advertising in shop windows, In Barcelona the Erotic Museum is on Las Ramblas across from the big food market and uses point of sale advertising with a Marilyn Monroe look-alike waving to folks from the second floor. It is more low key than Amsterdam, but no less straight to the point. Europe has a different attitude than the US about this.

Waterfall and rapids just off the road

     This waterfall and rapids is just a short walk from the road between Kenmare and Muckross House in southwestern Ireland. It is part of the national park. Worth the hike.

Union Square, San Francisco

Union Square in San Francisco is always changing

from summer to winter, from yesterday to tomorrow

always a great place that is the honorary center of S.F.

Don't mess with a baboon: Zimbabwe

     This guy is the size of a large dog; I would guess around 100 pounds. I was sitting with friends at a picnic table in Zimbabwe near Victoria Falls. One of the friends had purchased cookies as she was hungry. She didn't get to eat more than one. I turned my back on this guy and he jumped on me going like a freight train, reached around, and grabbed the bag of cookies and was off to eat them. He did not hurt me, other than my feelings, but "startled" took on new meaning. This photo was taken by me prior to our encounter.

Favorite photo

      The Louvre is a wonderful place in Paris. It is a converted palace turned museum. It is a busy place with people from around the world coming to see primarily three pieces of art out of hundreds of thousands. They come to see Venus, Winged Victory and Mona Lisa. The see others in the process.

        The photo above is off a painting directly across the room from The Mona Lisa. I will bet few see it. It is at their back as they run in with their cameras held high to take a picture of the disappointingly dreary and small work by Leonardo. 

        This piece is small and unassuming and wonderful. It is by Raphael.

Why is Florence Italy so many people's favorite?

     It could be the art, the museums, the river, the history, the shopping, or the people - what makes people love Florence so much? I can only tell you that it is all of the above plus the wonderful summer nights.
     The tourists are out all day and go back to their hotels to have drinks, dinner, and rest. It is about that time that my wife and I hit the streets. We have done it in Venice, London, Paris and so many other places. The city is not a crowded and filled with more locals after dark.
     Nothing is nicer on a warm summer evening than sitting in a sidewalk cafe with a glass of wine and watching the people and, if lucky, a conversation with folks at the next table. You learn a great deal that way. Chao.

Napoleon's Tomb, Paris

     This is a photo of Napoleon's Tomb taken by my granddaughter, Sarah Boehringer, last summer on our visit to Scotland and France. It should not be surprising to people to learn that young people have a great eye for photography as they were born into a visual world. This particular picture was taken by Sarah from the lower level and I like how it shows the people and provides scale.

Village visit in Zambia

     It was summer in the US and the dry season (Winter) in Zambia. We were nice and warm as it was in the 70's. This young person was very cold. We visited a school to provide school supplies and books and the kids had heavy coats, gloves and hats. They are accustomed to very hot weather. I cannot imagine how cold they would be today in Mid-America.

My wife's bare arm at left.

The Alcazar, Segovia, Spain

     You may have to walk from the parking lot in Segovia to get to the Alcazar, but it is a lovely walk with sights along the way that will remind you that this is Spain. A Roman aqueduct, a statue of Columbus, a beautiful brownstone church, a plaza with food options - as you walk up the gentle grade you will see out of the city and into the vineyards and fields. From one vantage you will see a small church from whence crusaders left to fight the Moors. In the garden in front of the moat, there are large chestnuts waiting to be picked up; one is enough.  This is truly a great and short visit from Madrid.

Spelling doesn' count

This is a test post and spelling doesn't count. New internet provider. Should be faster.

Quaint stairway in our hotel in Edinburgh

These are the touches that make me enjoy hotels in other countries.

Do my best with Internet down...

AT&T phone and internet has been down four days. I am doing work arounds. Sorry to miss any days.
Here is a favorite photo.

Lake in the center of Madrid. Fun place to meet new friends from Spain and 

other places around the world. Plenty of food, wine and entertainment.

This is not the London Bridge

This photo was taken from a Thames tour boat. It is not a photo of the London Bridge. The one that "is falling down" is in Arizona. This is the Tower Bridge by the Tower of London.  It is not falling down.

Approaching Sedona, AZ

Approaching Sedona from the south is like coming upon a movies set - wait - it has been a movie set.

Windows on/of the world collection

A window in the main square of Feldkirch, Austria. I love this town.

Three photos: Mont Saint Michel France

 On The Rampart

 St. Joan at the Chapel

Looking up toward the abbey.

Photos by Mike McLellan

Columbia River Gorge, USA

In the Columbia River Gorge near The Dalles, this model of

Stonehenge stands on the Washington State side. Interesting visit.  

Favorite spots: Pigeon Point, California

What to see in London

     This is a main building in the Tower of London and you should not miss it. Get there at opening and go right to it to see the crown jewels before others get there.
     What are other places I would suggest? Glad you asked. The British Museum is super, but don't forget the Victoria and Albert. Taking a Hop On Hop Off Bus gives you a good overview. You will also want to use the Underground and a regular city bus just because. You will want to go down to Westminster and see the Abbey and make your way around Parliament. While you are there skip the London Eye. People argue that it is a good way to see the whole central city, but I argue that it is a terrible eye-sore.
      You will wish to check out Buckingham Palace and be surprised with it looking like a Federal building in Washington, DC. I vote for a walk through Kensington Gardens and especially a stop at the Peter Pan statue on Dianna's Walk. We are fans of St. Martin In The Fields with lunch in the Crypt, but you may wish to spend that time at Saint Paul's.
     I would not miss Harrod's Department Store (near Piccadilly), especially the food court. And, remember to go to at least a couple of pubs for a hearty meal and interesting time. I have several to suggest, but there are loads of them to discover on your own. My advice, however, is to go to ones on side streets in neighborhoods. They are less touristy.
     Finally, we suggest staying at a B&B or a hotel serving full English Breakfast that is not a chain. It is fun to get to know the owners, help and other guests.

A search for the less-extraordinary

    We have come into Paris' CDG eight or nine times. Paris is lovely. Same with coming into London, Dublin, Madrid, Rome and Edinburgh. They are extraordinary. For that reason they are full of tourists. There are reasons for the crowds. These places are interesting, beautiful, and entertaining. 

    I have out the atlas again and am checking those places we have on the someday list. I realize that there are places closer to home that we have not seen. These are places full of Japanese, French, English and Italian tourists. I live only an hour and a half from Yosemite National Park and less than that from San Francisco.

     Still, what I have in mind is to find a place that is a little less exciting. We want to get to know people in their own context and sometimes that is difficult in the extraordinary places. What we have found is that oft times extraordinary people live in the more ordinary places.  So we are pondering the destinations not listed in Lonely Planet and on Rick Steves' Europe. If you have any ideas forward them in the comments.      

Bird and Flower Market, Paris, France

     On one of the islands of the Seine, near Notre Dame Cathedral, there is a lovely flower market. There is also there a market that sells birds. A bird is just right for a small apartment and they bring music to the intercity.